Method of manufacture of a compound fabric



July 1 1969 J. DIETRICH 3,452,413

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A COMPOUND FABRiC Filed May 1, 1967 if k Egg

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United States Patent 3,452,413 METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A COMPOUND FABRIC Johann Dietrich, Oflingen (Danube), Germany, assignor to Bayerische Wollfilzfabriken KG, Olfermann, Zeiller, Sehmid & Co., Otfermann, Germany Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,980

Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 39, 1966,

B 86,910 Int. Cl. D04h 17/00, 18/00, 1/46 US. Cl. 2872.2 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention pertains to a method of manufacture of a compound fabric which is particularly suitable as a lining. The material comprises two separate fleeces of wool or wool felting or other suitable material on opposite sides of a loosely-gauged fabric. The resulting fabric may have its opposite sides dissimilar in color or shade. Also, the separate fleeces may be of different composition and/or may be separately pre-dyed.

Description of the prior art Pertinent prior art includes French Patent No. 1,315,- 688 the applicant 'of which is the assignee of the present application. The French patent discloses the needling of fibers having felting characteristics onto a woven fabric by a multiplicity of needles which are driven vertically through the material and which are equipped with small hooks so that the fibers of the lap are thrust perpendicularly through the fabric to produce a strong bond between the fabric and the fleece. Thereafter, according to the French patent, the lap, which has been compressed beforehand in a mechanical manner, is then put through a felting process on plate or cylinder felting machines of a type known in the art, the lap being thus felted as well as the extremities of the fibers which have passed through the back side of the fabric so as to produce a more intimate bond between the lap and the fabric.

Summary of the invention One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a compound fabric which is particularly suitable as a lining and whereby the opposite sides of the compound fabric can be of dissimilar quality and/or color or shade. As a result, the compound fabric of the invention may be designed to possess materially identical characteristics on both surfaces but of dissimilar color and shade. In this manner, the items of compound fabrics and linings to be kept in stock for processing can be significantly reduced in number. The two layers of fleece which are used in the process can possess dissimilar structures and dissimilar characteristics, especially relative to the subsequent dyeing 3,452,413 Patented July 1, 1969 process. The compound fabric of the invention can be subjected to additional treatment in a known manner and can be finished with plastics, starch, and the like.

Described briefly, the method of the invention comprises the needling of a fleece of wool or wool mixture, or other material having suitable felting characteristics, onto a loosely-gauged fabric, the subsequent placement of an additional fleece of wool or part wool, or other material having suitable felting chararteristics, onto the opposite side of the fabric, and, finally, the combining of the second fleece with the threads of the first fleece which protrude through the loosely-gauged fabric by means of a felting and fulling operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The single figure of the drawing discloses, in cross section, the construction of the compound fabric of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawing shows an upper woolen or wool mixture fleece 1 which is secured to a layer of a loosely-gauged fabric 2 such as half-linen. The layer 1 is combined with the half-linen layer 2 by needling on in the direction of arrow 4. Thus, a multiplicity of needles is pushed through the felt layer 1 and through the layer of halflinen 2 in the general manner discussed in the aforementioned French Patent No. 1,315,688. The individual fibers 5 of layer 1 are pushed through the half-linen layer 2, protruding downwardly therethrough. An additional fleece 3, of wool or wool mixture or other material having suitable felting characteristics, is subsequently placed against the oppositesurface of the half-linen material 2 and thereafter the fibers 5 of the layer 1 which protrude downwardly through the half-linen 2 are combincd with the layer 3 by means of a felting and fulling operation so that all three layers are combined solidly with each other.

It is within the scope of the invention to utilize in place of linen or half-linen for the layer 2 any looselygauged fabric or knitted texture including synthetic tex tures. The layer 1 may comprise a wool or mixed wool mixture fleece, and it is within the scope of the invention that the additional layer 3;; may also comprise a wool or mixed wool fleece, possibly of a different color than that of the layer 1, with the difference in color attained either by the use of pre-dyed materials or by employing for the two fleeces materials of dissimilar fiber compositions so as to produce diverse color effects upon subsequent batch dyeing.

The individual layers 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing are combined by felting and fulling. During this operation, the felting, comprising the consolidation and interlacing of the threads of the material 1 with the linen or halflinen 2, is pushed through the layer of material 2. Thereafter, when the second fleece layer 3 is placed onto the other side of the linen or half-linen layer 2, in juxtaposition with the protruding threads of the first fleece layer 1, the two layers of fleece become felted Within themselves. It is furthermore within the scope of the invention to use two fleeces 1 and 3 which are of substantially identical color and to combine them into a compound fabric in the manner described above. In this case, the two fleece layers can possess dissimilar characteristics even though of the same color.

Needling, as referred to herein, refers to the tying and solidifying of initially loose fibers, which may be of synthetic or natural materials, including wool, and is accomplished with the material in the cold and dry state under the influence of a needle-like tool which causes an interlacing of the fibers at each point of puncture of the tool so that the, fibers join each other closely. through artificial first layer of fieece which protrude through the looserearrangement of the fibers seized by the needle in the ly-gauged fabric by a joint felting and fulling operadirection of needle movement. On the other hand, felttion. ing, as used herein, refers to the tying and solidfying 2. The method of claim 1 whereby the two fleece layof initially loose fibers, comprising at least in part the ers have dissimilar compositions. wool of sheep or other animals, under the influence of D 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said compound heat, moisture, pressure, and agitation. fabric is dyed. v

What I 91mm 15: References Cited 1. The method of manufacture of a compound fabric particularly useful as a lining, comprising the steps of: UNITED STATES PATENTS (a) needling onto a loosely-gauged fabric on one side 10 3,364,543 1/ 1968 Homier et al. 2872.2

thereof a fiber fleece comprising at leastin part FOREIGN PATENTS wool, whereby fibers of the fleece are caused to pro trude through the loosely-gauged fabric, 711,180 6/1954 Great (b) placing on the other side of the fabric away from 15 990,689 4/ 1965 Great Britain.

the needled-on first-mentioned fleece an additional layer of material also comprising at least in part LOUIS R M Pr'mary Examiner W00], v US. Cl. X.R. (c) felting said additional layer with the fibers of the 28 723' 

